Slumber Party
by RyBread
Summary: Post Cuffed, Castle invites himself over to Beckett's for a slumber party! Casketty goodness and fluff is bountiful.
1. Chapter 1

Castle lingered on the border of his apartment and the hallway, fiddling with his keys. After a moment, he was crossed into the empty, dark apartment. The silence of rooms around him forced a disappointed sigh from the writer. Occasionally he enjoyed the luxury of a quiet home. It was nice to write in. But tonight he yearned for the comfort of his mother and daughter. After yet another near death experience, he desired nothing more than some human contact with people he loved.

He walked to his bathroom and undressed. A hot bubble bath is always necessary after a near death experience. Though, he would never admit to taking bubble baths. There would most definitely be a major deduction of manhood points.

After about a 20 minute soak, he put on some boxers and looked at the clock. It was only 9:30. He fell onto his bed. His mind was too busy to allow him any sleep. Castle reached for his phone and dialed.

It rang once. Twice. Three times. Four. Five, and finally six. The familiar message chimed in his ear.

"_Hi, this is Alexis, sorry I missed your call! Leave a message! Have a great day!"_

As disappointed as he was that the machine answered, Castle couldn't help but smile. He loved the sound of her voice.

The message tone beeped.

"Hi sweetie. I just called in to see how things are going. You and gram haven't gotten lost yet have you? Call me back. I love you. Bye."

He pressed end and looked at the time again. 9:32. An idea popped into Castle's mind and his fingers began clicking a quick text message to Beckett.

_You awake?_

After a few moments he got a reply.

_**Sure am. It's hard to sleep after battling a tiger.**_

Castle smirked and started to type a reply.

_Battling? More like running away and screaming._

**_True. But I'm honestly trying to figure out what's haunting me more: the tiger or that crazy old lady!_**

_That's a good point. Both will be keeping me awake tonight...unless..._

_**What are you getting at Castle?**_

_Well, you see, I'm all alone. Alexis and mother are gone. And I can't sleep; we almost died today. I was thinking, you're all alone right now too…you should invite me over? Or you could come over here? And we could keep each other company…_

Castle hit send, crossed his fingers, and anxiously awaited a reply.

_**Huh. So you're inviting yourself over, but you want my permission first? I'm impressed. Usually you just show up. Little Castle's learning some manners… ;) **_

_Aren't you proud of me? I think this deserves a celebration. I'll bring the wine and movies…and my jammies. I'll be there in 20._

_**Wait? What the hell? Your Jammies? I never even gave you official permission to come over in the first place…let alone invite you over for a slumber party!**_

_The winky face implied it. And yes, we're having a slumber party. Don't argue, it's a done deal_

**_NO FUNNY BUSINESS CASTLE! You can come over, but DON'T MAKE ME MAD AT YOU!_**

_I pinky promise Beckett! And psh, like you could ever be mad at me. ;)_

_**Dear god. You better get a ton of wine.**  
><em>

_:D seeya soon, detective!_

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><p>AN: So I'll do my very best to get this updated asap! The next few chapters should be longer too. Leave me some reviews please! Thanks for reading, you lovely human being you! :)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Beckett put down her phone in disbelief. Did he really just talk his way into a sleepover? Even through her disbelief, she couldn't help but smile. Tonight would be interesting.

A sudden wave of nerves overtook her body. Her palms became sweaty when she thought about the possibilities of the night. Butterflies flew strong in the pit of her stomach. Reality suddenly hit her.

Rick Castle was spending the night. At _her _home! It would be nobody but the two of them. She felt like a teenager again, about to go on a first date. _You're a grown woman,_ she mentally told herself, _it's Castle. You see him all the time! Stop freaking out!_

She washed some dishes to keep her mind busy. After that, she anxiously walked around her house. A knock on the door told her Castle had arrived.

She took a few seconds to collect her composure and reassured herself. Beckett opened the door.

Castle stood in the doorway, with a handful. A string bag hung off his arm. His hands juggled a bottle of wine, dvds, grocery bags and a bouquet of flowers.

Beckett stepped aside to allow him entrance. He looked at the detective as he passed her and grinned.

"Hi!" He said in a cheery tone. He rushed to the kitchen counter and dropped his stuff. He grabbed the flowers and turned to face Beckett, who was locking the door.

"You'll never guess what song was on the radio one the way here."

"You're right Castle, I'll never guess."

"Eye of the Tiger!"

Beckett laughed and said, "Oh Castle, I'm afraid we'll never be able to enjoy that song again."

Castle laughed with her. "Unfortunately I think you're right. It's really a shame though. It's such a catchy tune," he looked down at the bouquet in his hands and paused.

"I, uh, got these for you." He handed her the various colored daisies. She smiled.

"Well that's very sweet of you Castle, but what for?"

"I was at the store getting some stuff. I saw these and thought you might like them."

"Thank you, they're beautiful." She grabbed a vase from the cabinet and filled it with water. After delicately positioning the daisies, she looked back at Castle. He was staring at her and had obviously been staring for the past minute. Suddenly she remembered the short exercise shorts she had on as pajamas and the T shirt.

"Would you quit checking me out Castle? I mean, if you're going to look me up and down at least try to be inconspicuous."

He tore his gaze from her legs and made eye contact.

"I can't help myself when you wear shorts that length with legs like those! I have an idea, I'll go get my PJ's on and we can check each other out. It's fair that way."

"Do you sleep in short shorts too? You can borrow a pair of mine if you want as long as you don't stretch them out."

"I think I'll have to pass on that offer. Big Rick would be uncomfortable in those." He winked.

Beckett shook her head and disregarded his previous comment about 'Big Rick,' she looked at him questioningly and asked, "So Castle, what exactly do you have planned for the evening?"

Castle walked to the bags on the countertop and emptied the contents within. "Well, I brought some DVDs, some frozen pizzas, ice cream, lots of wine, and my sparkling personality. So I was thinking maybe a movie, ice cream and pizza if we get hungry, building a blanket fort, naked twister, oh and a sweaty pillow fight somewhere in there. "

Beckett raised an eyebrow, "Really Castle? Naked Twister? Blanket forts? Sweaty pillow fights? So cliché for an author! I was expecting more creativity from you!"

"No, it would be cliché if we played truth or dare, watched The Notebook, and talked about boys. Isn't that what you girls always do at sleepovers?"

"Nope, we usually play naked Twister." Castle gasped at her remark and choked on air.

Beckett smirked and walked pass Castle and into the kitchen. She snapped her fingers as she passed. "Hey, quit daydreaming before you get too excited."

Castle blinked back into reality. She was getting two wine glasses from the counter.

"I'll go get my pajamas on so we can get this party started!" He winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

As Castle turned around and walked to the bathroom, Beckett smiled. Tonight was going to be good. Much better than what she was expecting. She poured the crimson wine into the glasses.

From the bathroom door, Castle turned and spoke. "You should pick out a movie. I made sure none of them had tigers in them. Or crazy Texans."

They both grinned and he entered the bathroom.

Beckett browsed the pile of DVDs. There were many that she loved and wouldn't mind watching, but she finally decided on the always funny, _Airplane! _A good, pun-filled slapstick comedy like _Airplane!_ is exactly what she needed to relax.

_Maybe that's why I like Castle so much, _she thought to herself. He was the pun-filled funny goofball that kept her hectic life calm.

Beckett smiled at the thought, but her smile quickly morphed into a poker face when she heard the bathroom door click open.

Castle emerged, dressed unlike anything Beckett had ever seen him in before. Navy blue basketball shorts hung down to his knees and a simple gray T shirt covered his torso. She had never seen so much skin before from him before.

He looked so, _casual!_ It was only sleeping clothes but Beckett couldn't stop staring.

"Look who's being inconspicuous now!" Castle smirked and grabbed a glass of wine. Beckett glared.

"So what movie did you decide on?" Castle asked.

"Well, I thought _Airplane!_ would do us both some good, after our experience today."

"_Airlplane!_ Great! I love that one! I could use a good laugh." Castle handed Beckett the full glass of wine.

She took the glass and he raised his. "I'd like to propose a toast." Beckett smiled and raised her glass next to his.

Castle cleared his throat. "I would like to propose this toast to my partner, Katherine Beckett, for she is truly the perfect partner. Together, we can do anything. We're unstoppable. I'm so very thankful for having such a great friend and knowing such an amazing person. I am also very thankful for her hotness. So, here's to my extraordinary partner, Beckett, the strongest person I know." Castle tapped his glass against Beckett's.

She didn't move, even after the "clink" of the wine glasses. Her body was frozen. Lost in his words, she simply stared into his eyes. Any doubts she had about the night quickly vanished.

Suddenly, she snapped out of it and smiled. She was feeling daring. "Now I would like to propose a toast." Stunned for a moment, Castle raised his glass once more and smiled.

"To my partner, favorite author, and amazing friend, Richard Castle. He's saved my life in more ways than he'll ever know. He is always there for me and always has my back, and for that, I'm eternally thankful. Oh, and he's hot too. So here's to Castle."

It was Castle's turn to be stunned. He didn't blink, he was mesmerized. Beckett clinked their glasses together once more and sipped the red wine.

She picked up _Airplane! _and lightly waved it in him face. It awoke him from the trance.

"Should we start the movie, Castle?"

"Uh, sure." Was his only reply.

"Geez Castle, if I knew that complimenting you would shut you up, I would've toasted to you a long time ago."

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><p>Sorry if you haven't seen <em>Airplane!<em>. I won't reference it too much. Let me know how I'm doing! Thanks for the reviews thus far! Stay golden!


	3. Chapter 3

The duo sat together in the middle of the couch, facing the TV. The space between them gradually grew shorter with each passing minute as the movie went on. Underneath a stack of blankets and quilts, their legs lightly brushed. Suddenly a loud growling interrupted the movie.

Castle and Beckett simultaneously looked down at his stomach. It growled again.

"That reminds me. I haven't had anything to eat since before our kidnapping. Something tells me I'm hungry" Castle explained.

Beckett laughed and tossed aside the blankets and stood up. "Then it looks like it's time for some pizza and ice cream."

"Perfect." Castle stood up and his stomach growled again. "We better make it quick before the demon in my stomach loses its patient."

In the kitchen, Beckett turned the oven on and tore apart the stiff cardboard that encased a frozen pizza.

Castle leaned against the counter next to her and asked, "How long does it take to cook?"

Beckett searched the box for the cooking instructions. She pointed and he leaned in closer to see.

"Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 20 minutes." She turned to face Castle without realizing how close they were. He turned at the same time.

A casual moment turned intimate within seconds. Their bodies were touching, faces inches apart. An instant electric spark surged through both of their bodies. In the moment, Beckett's wall disappeared. Barefooted, she was a good 3 inches shorter than Castle. His mouth was about level with her forehead and almost touching. She looked up and met his eyes.

Castle gently put his hand on her back. Beckett started to raise herself up high on her tippy toes, her mouth lingered inches away from Castle's. Suddenly, a growl escaped from Castle's hungry stomach and interrupted the tender moment. They both erupted with laughter.

Beckett fell flat footed and stepped past Castle with the frozen pizza in her hands. As she walked by she patted his stomach and spoke to his ear. "Sounds like you need food asap."

He smiled but as soon as Beckett was behind him, his smile morphed into a frown and he looked down at his stomach and glared. In his mind he cursed his cock-block of a stomach.

She slid the pizza in the oven and set the timer. When she turned around she saw Castle prying open a tub of ice cream.

"Hey! No ice cream until you've had dinner!" Castle peeled the lid off and looked at her with the expression of a pleading child.

"But, haven't you heard the saying? Life's short. Eat dessert first!"

Beckett rolled her eyes with a small smile. Before Castle realized it, she grabbed two spoons from a drawer and handed one to Castle.

"Dig in!" At the same time, they scooped a spoonful of the frozen dessert. Icy coldness jolted through their bodies as they put the frozen metals on their tongues.

"Oh I forgot how good food is!" Castle said as he shoveled more of the frozen dessert into his mouth.

"It's delicious, but also chilling. Let's go sit under the blankets and watch the movie."

"Good plan."

They positioned themselves in the center of the couch with the layers of blankets shielding them from the ice cream tub.

A scene from the movie made Beckett giggle. Illuminated by the television's glow, Castle looked at her. Her laughter and smile gave him a feeling of warmth deep down inside. He was about to return to watching the movie, instead of Beckett, when he noticed a drip of ice cream in the corner of her mouth.

"Hey…you've got a little bit of ice cream on your face."

Beckett looked at him and before she could even react, he slowly reached his arm out and touched her face. With his thumb, he gently wiped away the sweet drip of dairy that trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"You know, I probably could've managed to get that myself." Beckett said as she raised her eyebrows and smiled accusingly.

Castle raised a single eyebrow and licked his thumb with the melted ice cream on it. "Where's the fun in that?"

She grabbed her ice cream covered spoon and brushed it against Castle's face. His whole mouth was covered with the melted sugary dessert.

"Did you need help with that?" She asked him in a mocking, seductive tone.

Castle licked his lips and cleared his voice. "Yes please."

The oven alarm went off and Castle jumped at the sound.

Beckett laughed and walked to the kitchen to shut it off. Castle followed her, and watched as she pulled the perfectly crisp pizza from the oven. She grabbed a rag from the counter and summoned Castle over to her.

"Here," she said as she wet the rag with warm water.

With the rag in hand, she lightly wiped the ice cream from his mouth.

"I think I could've handled that myself," Castle smirked.

Beckett stepped back and lightly slapped him in the chest with the wet rag and winked.

"But where's the fun in that?"

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><p>AN: So, I'm sorry this took forever for me to update. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. Thanks for the reviews and being fabulous! (It's finals week so I'm not sure how long until the next chapter will take, but I'll do my best!)<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

AN: This chapter took a wild turn for the emotional. I still like it though, so hopefully you guys will too!

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><p>Moonlight streaks glowed through the apartment windows and illuminated the sleeping figures on the living room floor. Soft inhales and exhales were the only sounds to be heard. Underneath a cozy pile of blankets, Castle and Beckett slept.<p>

After a night of eating, talking, and laughing along to a movie, they fell asleep beside each other on the apartment floor.

Beckett laid on her side, facing Castle's direction, while he laid on his back. Her fingers rested on top of his hand. Everything about the night seemed peaceful.

The serene night scene was soon interrupted. Castle's slow breathing suddenly turned into rapid, uneven, frantic gasps for air. A thin layer of sweat painted his body.

In his sleep, he spoke. "No! Kate! Please don't leave me! Stay with me!"

His body tossed and turned. Tears seeped through his closed eyelids. His body shook. Again he screamed.

"You can't die, I need you! I'm so sorry!"

Beckett shook him out of his nightmare. Castle's teary eyes snapped open. He saw Beckett kneeling above him and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kate, you're alive!" Panting and gasping for air, he tried to collect himself.

She replied softly. "Castle, you were having a nightmare." She put her hand on his face and brushed away his tears. "I've been next to you the whole time."

Castle came back to reality and he remembered where he was and why he was there. He sat up next to her.

"I-I'm sorry I woke you." He stuttered.

"Shhhh Castle." She pressed a finger against his lips to silence him. "Don't be sorry."

Castle's red and salty eyes stared into her worrying eyes.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She asked. He tore his gaze from hers, and looked into the darkness in front of him.

He sat up and faced her directly.

"I have the same nightmare almost every night," Castle confessed.

Beckett was silent and waited for him to continue.

"Every night, since the day you got shot, the image of you dying in front of me replays in my mind. Only, in my nightmares, you don't survive." New tears started to fill his eyes. He continued.

"Every night I watch you die and I can't do anything about it. The thing that bothers me the most is that it's all my fault. Some nights I see you freezing to death in that freezer, some nights I see you bleeding out at Montgomery's funeral. It's so real. It's like I can almost feel the chill of the freezer, or smell the blood from when you were shot. Sometimes they aren't so detailed, but I guess our tiger experience yesterday triggered that big one..."

He paused for a moment and continued.

"There's a second part of the nightmare too. The second part is your funeral. I'm giving the eulogy and suddenly the casket opens, and you're just laying there, pale, lifeless, and cold. That picture haunts me every single night. I nearly killed you. I thought that having you next to me might help, but I guess not. I'm so sorry you had to see that."

He looked back at Beckett. A mixture of shock, sympathy, and sadness masked her face.

"I'm so sorry Kate." He repeated.

Beckett placed a finger to his lips and shushed him. She took his hand and placed it over her heart, and held it there.

"Castle, do you feel that? My heartbeat?"

Castle smiled a little smile and a tear rolled down his cheek. He nodded.

"You're the reason it's still beating."

Beckett paused for a moment and then continued.

"After my mom died, I became depressed, lonely, scared, and I didn't know how to move on. Then one day, I picked up one of your books. Something about them gave me the strength I needed. I've never told you this before, but that was the first time you saved my life. You saved me from myself."

Beckett moved her hands from her chest and put it on Castle's face once again. Her left hand stroked his jaw line while her right hand stroked another tear streak.

Castle whispered, "You save me, and I save you. It's what partners do."

Her mouth formed a small grin and she stared into his glossy eyes.

"That's right. Bullets, freezers, bombs, and even tigers are no match for us. So, if you think that you are the reason I almost died that day at Montgomery's funeral, think again. The son of a bitch who shot me is the reason I almost died. You're the reason I survived. You're the reason I'm not pushing daisies right now."

Castle swallowed air, nodded his head, and spoke.

"Watching you die that day was the most awful thing I've ever experienced. I felt so helpless and numb. The thought of never seeing you again just-"

"Castle, shhhhh. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."

Beckett scooted closer to Castle and wrapped her arm around his body, engulfing him in a bear hug. Cautious at first, he slowly put his arm around her. Once they completely embraced, he held her tight. Castle closed his eyes and Beckett closed hers. He savored the moment. He memorized the feeling of her warm skin against his, her quiet breathing, the way her brunette locks lightly brushed his skin, and the feeling of her heartbeat against his chest.

Beckett broke the silence and whispered, "We should go back to sleep."

"You're right," He whispered back, still entwined in her arms. "I just don't want to let go."

Beckett giggled. "Good thing you don't have to."

She scooted under the covers and Castle joined her. He rested his head on the spot between her neck and shoulder, lying on his side, his arm wrapped around her body. Their legs entwined. Beckett laid on her back, with an arm around Castle. She held him close as her fingers gently twisted and played with his hair.

"Will you wake me if you think I start having the nightmare again?" He asked innocently. It was obvious that this nightmare really did terrify him.

"Of course. Just remember, I'm right here. I'm alive and better than ever. When you wake up, I'll be the first thing you see."

Castle smiled. "I could get used to that." His voice hummed in her ear.

Beckett grinned to herself in the darkness and bit her lip. "Me too, Castle."

"Thank you so much." Castle whispered.

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for surviving. And for being you."

She laughed slightly.

"You're welcome. Now will you shut up so we can sleep?"

Castle quietly chuckled. "Alright. Until tomorrow, Beckett."

"Until tomorrow," she sleepily repeated.

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><p>AN: It will probably only take 1 more chapter to wrap up this little tale. It will be more lighthearted and funny again, I promise. PLEASE REVIEW IN THE MEANTIME. Have a good day, and thanks for reading. :)<p> 


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